


"What Do You Hunt?"

by Itchsh_y



Category: Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Series - J.M. Lee, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Action, Bathing/Washing, Blood, F/M, Headaches, I'm Bad At Tagging, MalSa, SeaHunter, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22646227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itchsh_y/pseuds/Itchsh_y
Summary: [EDIT OCTOBER 29TH 2020: I did some much needed and overdue editing for all of the chapters. Including better paragraph spacing, fixed spelling errors, fixed grammatical errors, added short summaries for each chapter, and extra context and sentences for some scenes.]Winter approaches on Thra and SkekMal accidentally runs into SkekSa. The two end up in a tough situation that a few actions and tons of thinking would help.
Relationships: skekMal/skekSa (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	1. Tree

**Author's Note:**

> This is my 2nd try at this fanfic. Read through my awful writing style and unpopular ship, I hope you enjoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While on the hunt, SkekMal runs into SkekSa and helps her with a few things, only to stay near her for a little more time than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Writing these notes a few days after the edit)
> 
> Since I was unaware of Vessa (SkekSa's ship) being on top of a goddamn ocean beast in FEBRUARY (since the Mayrin Arc Comics weren't made yet), Vessa is it's own boat. So sorry for the inconsistency.

He slumped onto the ground, panting lightly. A dead Fizzgig lay next to SkekMal, he had just finished, what he would call, a small hunt. Just for fun. He took the blood-stained blade he grasped and licked the crimson off. The taste of blood was one the Hunter had gotten used to a long time ago. The now clean blade was quickly sheathed into it's designated satchel attached to SkekMal's belt. But as soon as he sat down, he stood back up and walked into the direction of the three suns, causing any small creatures around him to scurry off. He left the carcass of the Fizzgig behind.

The Hunter was on a mission. A rather large Spitter had been killing some of the prey that he used for food, so something had to be done. SkekMal, even as MalVa, the Poacher, was a pro, if not the best at tracking and memorizing animal sleeping and migration patterns. He knew that Spitters go near the three suns before it gets dark, so that in the morning, they are still in the dark. Yet even with his skills, the Hunter had only seen his target once.

As he walked, the cold breeze of the arriving winter sent a slight chill through him. His toes dug into the dirt as he travelled. Anyone who would see his footprints would get frightened, they oddly sensed that the tracks belonged to a dangerous presence. But those current tracks soon went from marking dirt, to sand. SkekMal didn't realize how long he had been walking until he reached a beach.

"Gaah!" He exclaimed to himself, frustrated at his mistake. But before he could emerge himself inside the forest once again, he caught something in the corner of his eye. A large wooden boat sat still, beached. He also heard something.

The Hunter's keen hearing picked up a soft humming, a Sifan song. 'Gelfling, thinking they have talent. I would almost pity them, if not for their stupidity.' He thought to himself. He almost walked away again, but he saw the origin of the noise, a figure.

The Hunter noticed it quite quickly. It's bright red fisherman's coat was hardly miss-able. The figure moved it's head and stared at the Hunter. He tried to run away, no Gelfling could know he existed, he was still a myth to the small things. His escape into the forest was in vain, for the figure had ran up and violently tugged onto the bones atop the Hunter's shoulders. A gasp left his mouth as he turned around.

"Hunter! You blind moron. You can make out a perfectly camouflaged Nebrie, but not me trying to signal?!"

"Mariner!?" The Hunter responded surprised. "Let me do my job before I replace the skull I wear with yours!" He spat at SkekSa, the figure that he saw earlier. The Mariner gave a disgusted look at herself. She scoffed as she spoke, "I... need help." She shook her head as she made herself look like a fool. She wouldn't budge from her spot, though. Skeksis are supposed to let others do their own job, even when needing help. They either help themselves or move on.

"Help? You're that insignificant?" SkekMal laughed hoarsely as he tried to offend SkekSa.

"You just wait until I don't hep you when you need it!" The Mariner tried to make a comeback, failing horribly. She bore her sharp teeth for a moment. "My time is just as valuable as yours, it is my needs that are on the line." She continued.

"You know nothing about what I'm going through right now." The Hunter lashed back. He could have just ran away, but it had been a while since he had talked to anyone. Much less have an argument with.

"After last winter, the Sifan carried all of my stuff for me onto Vessa. But now, I can't get something off. And since I have a few... casualties with the Sifan right now, they refuse to help." SkekSa skipped ahead.

"What stuff? And what in everything is a Vessa?" The Hunter questioned what the Mariner said.

"That stuff is none of your business, it just helps me set up shelter for the winter. I need to get it off of my ship, Vessa." SkekSa said slowly, as to annoy him. "Now, are you going to help me, or are we going to be asking more dumb questions?" SkekMal scoffed at the way the Mariner put her words. But they convinced him anyways.

"Fine." He complied. SkekSa glanced suspiciously at him, but then turned around and started to walk. The Hunter followed, catching up with a sigh. He was led to the large ship that caught his attention previously. He was impressed at how big the vessel was. It must have taken forever to build, even out of wood. The bottom material still looked soaked with sea water.

"You can climb up there." SkekSa pointed to a tall ladder with ropes on the sides. It swayed as the winter breeze came again.

"You expect me to climb on 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨!?" The Hunter's gaze set onto the ladder as he grabbed it's rope sides. The Mariner gave no answer, leaving SkekMal to no choice. He would have climbed the ship by digging his claws into the wooden sides and forcing himself up, but that might have actually caused a problem when the thing sailed again. So instead, he climbed the ladder.

It swayed more due to his weight. The Hunter hopped off the railings of the boat when he finished climbing. He gave a confused look, as he saw no luggage. He looked behind him as the Mariner caught up and started her way below deck. 'Oh.'

SkekMal made his way after SkekSa below deck. Small lights in the space gave barely any illumination, but just enough. The Hunter never thought he would even get to board SkekSa's ship, where she did her job. He barely even went into the castle where the majority of the Skeksis lived.

"Here." SkekSa pointed again. She sent the Hunter's attention to a large treasure-chest-like-box. It was locked, of course. "Be careful, not even I could carry it. The Sifan had to make a ramp once to roll it in here." She continued. SkekMal didn't even bother asking what contents it held. He leaned down, picking up the box slowly with a low grunt. The Mariner looked on in a light shock.

She picked up the remaining items that were on the ground , slouching them over her shoulders. The two made their way back above deck slowly.

"Am I going to have to climb down the ladder with THIS?" The Hunter said. He couldn't drop the box overboard, it's contents might break. And it also seemed impossible to climb down the ladder with the heavy box in his arm without, well, breaking it.

"Again with the dumb questions? Yes." 'Great.' Just the answer SkekMal didn't want to hear. He stepped onto the edge of the railing, looking down. The Mariner looked over, quickly yelling, "WHAT ARE YOU-" She was cut off, for the audience had disappeared.

The Hunter had jumped down from the tall boat, landing on his feet. He moved so that he stood next to the ladder, revealing the imprint from where he had landed. SkekSa rushed down the ladder with the items she carried still on her shoulder.

"What is your problem!?" She snapped, both angry and mildly worried.

"Cha! I have jumped much farther for much less important things." SkekMal glanced slightly over to the Mariner, who stood up straight at his words.

"I guess that I don't know what you're going through after all." The Mariner admitted. She forgot how formidable the Hunter was, even when he was not on the hunt. She looked up at Vessa, seeing how tall it was, then she looked back at the Hunter. He was taking deep breaths, for the long jump's landing had knocked the air out of him.

"Am I carrying the box to nowhere, Mariner?" He caught his breath slowly. "I take shelter, or rather set up shelter in a certain condition. It has to be a heavily wooded area with fresh water nearby, but it also has to be close to Vessa." The Mariner replied.

"Why not sleep in your ship during winter?" SkekMal asked, as if he was trying to make SkekSa look even more foolish.

"Watch me build a fire inside my wooden boat." SkekSa said back, swishing her tail to make a fan-shape in the sand. The Hunter's secondary arms rustled in the bone decorations that attached to his back. He took in the fact that he not only had to carry the Mariner's box to a destination, but he also had to find the correct one to carry it to. This was not his day today, he thought to himself blandly.

He cleared his throat."I have the capability of finding the environment you are looking for, Mariner." A definite answer. The Hunter did not like the fact that he had to keep helping. He had something to do anyways. It was tracking in the day, then waiting and sleeping in the night. That's how he liked it, with no additions. For now, at least.

"How will you find the specific spot?" The Mariner asked, expecting no answer, to which none came.

"Just follow me." That's all she heard from the Hunter for a while. Until, after some time walking, she heard something come from him. Not an insult or a rash comment, but... 'Sniffing?' SkekMal started walking wherever his beak led him, he did this for several moments. He let one of his hands go from the box he carried, struggling to hold it, and held his hand out in front of SkekSa's chest, as if to tell her to stop. And stop in her tracks she did.

She became confused at the situation that was playing out. She wanted to say something, but the odd fear of getting insulted again strangely overcame her. The Hunter's tail patted on the ground as he stood and continued to track. A small, spiked, metal ring that had been wrapped around his tail formed indents in the sand as he let his tail continue to pat in beats. SkekMal suddenly turned left, walking into the forest.

"As they continued to walk, the two Skeksis passed trees. The more they passed by, the larger the trees became, and the more abundant they grew. It was like the scenery that the Mariner had asked for gradually built up the more she walked. But, once she no longer heard SkekMal's tracking, she looked at her surroundings in awe. The dense amount of trees fit her exact needs. Nearby also lay a lake, looking like it had just begun to freeze. Sunsset made the area glow in a way that wrapped the whole thing up.

"Hate it that much that you can't speak?" The Hunter asked semi-sarcastically.

"I can communicate just fine thank you very much." SkekSa replied. A weird yet fitting silence loomed a bit more as the two Skeksis gazed at their surroundings. But as always, it was broken.

"How did you find this place so quickly?" The Mariner asked. She expected no reply again. She was astonished though, it usually took her a few days to find a decent spot. It took SkekMal less than half.

"A good hunter knows the lands he travels by heart. What it looks like, and what it smells like. I stumbled upon this land trine ago and have only visited it a few times, but have memorized it's attributes nonetheless." He eventually said, staring up at the sky. And due to sunsset, the sky turned into a mixture of pink, orange, yellow, and blue.

"Smart, but I wouldn't let it get past you." The Mariner walked into an empty patch of grass, it looked like a perfect spot to set up a shelter. She had dropped the items she had carried on her shoulders onto the small area she planned to make her shelter on.

\---

SkekMal ducked under the entrance of SkekSa's newly-built camp. He walked over to a nearby tree and laid against it. The Hunter had just carried the heavy box -that he had to help SkekSa with- into the Mariner's shelter. His eyes grew tired as the three suns disappeared into the barely visible horizon.

"I would be on my way, but I am far too tired. I haven't slept in days, I need rest." The Hunter said with a light yawn. He looked up at the tree he lay against.

"You deserve the sleep, take it." The Mariner looked over from a fire she had built.

"Very well." SkekMal replied. He stood up strait and faced the tree near him. He gazed at the thick and tall branches.

"Where do you sleep, Hunter? On the bare ground? Only an idiot would sleep there." SkekSa commented. She sat up to see what shenanigans the Hunter was up to. The sharp talons that topped SkekMal's fingers slammed into the tree bark. This repeated multiple times as he climbed up the tree. His claws dragged in the tree bark as he made his last hoist up.

An up-high and thick branch was the individual Skeksis' destination for the night. The Hunter lay atop the branch once he reached it, much like a wild animal after a hunt. He rest his head on top of his folded arms, closing his eyes as he tried to sleep.

The Mariner stared at the claw marks in the tree, then to the Hunter. 'I guess I got my answer.' She thought to herself. She looked back to the fire she sat next to. She would then stay awake for a while longer, only to succumb to sleep herself.


	2. Wound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SkekMal has to help SkekSa once again when she gets injured by an unexpected creature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [WARNING: BLOOD AND VIOLENCE IS PORTRAYED IN THIS CHAPTER!!]. This chapter was awesome yet awkward to write in my book and while typing it out.

SkekSa woke up, blinking to let reality set in. She removed a set of blankets that wrapped around her while getting up. Laying next to the big box that she needed help with yesterday was her signature red sailor coat. The blue shoulder pads with fluff underneath still stay attached. She picked it up and slid it on over a black long-sleeved dress shirt. Her boots remained on from last night, a mistake probably caused by the taking in of the day.

It had distracted the Mariner, even a bit in the morning. Yesterday was the first time she had seen another Skeksis in many trine, of course she was distracted. She hated to admit it, but she had missed talking to someone who understood how tough her life was. She stroked her claws through her colored feathers, trying to fix the mild tangling.

The slightly chilled morning greeted the Mariner as she walked out of her shelter. She looked over to the tree that SkekMal had fallen asleep on last night, only to see nobody there. 'Of course.' She thought to herself. 'Goodbye, Hunter.' She looked at the dead campfire. And just like that, her life was almost normal again. It got a bit exciting for a short time, but alas, it had to end. It all disappeared.

SkekSa shook her head and spotted something next to the burnt wood. She chuckled to herself. The Hunter had killed a creature that not even the Mariner could name. But it looked like a fresh kill, a nice reminder of the few remaining joys in life. Yet SkekSa dare not to eat it, for the Hunter might come back for it. Not to mention that he would have her guts spilled if she ate any of his kills. But the sight made her grow hungry, so she ventured out to find something to eat.

Yet for hundreds of paces away from her shelter, SkekSa couldn't even find a Fizzgig to gnaw on. A sudden winter breeze chilled the Mariner. The approaching winter seemed like it was going to be stronger than it usually was. Her head feathers blew in the wind, for she forgot to put on her hat before she departed her shelter.

She had also forgotten her sword.

A midnight-black creature ran by in the distance. Out of panic, SkekSa searched inside her coat pockets and pulled out a small knife. With more distant rustling, she saw another figure whoosh by even faster, too fast to make out any traits. It was too dangerous outside at the moment, it seemed, so the Mariner tried to head back to her shelter quickly. Her knife was still being grasped onto, for paranoia still existed inside of her.

She jogged two-thirds of the way back. She grew exhausted from running, for she searched well-away from her camp. SkekSa felt stupid for forgetting her sword, she could have used it, the creatures she saw could have went after her. Regret was quickly overcame by a tremendous fear.

The Mariner arrived at her camp. The dark creature she saw earlier was shown. The largest Spitter imaginable to her stood above the food the Hunter had left behind. But this Spitter was not staying in place, it was spitting it's venom and making an uncomfortable screeching sound. The Mariner could only watch as SkekMal hissed and roared intimidatingly at the large creature, trying to unsuccessfully slice through it's thick exoskeleton.

SkekSa could barely tell through the Hunter's mask, but it was visible that he was only the slightest shocked. He knew that this thing's armor was going to be difficult, so he took a different approach. The Hunter tried to push the Spitter to the ground to expose it's softer underside. He came in from the side and jumped, clashing his side against the Spitter's, risking his body being sliced open from the ends of it's sharp legs. But his strategy was to no avail. The creature remained standing.

SkekMal tried once more, dodging a spew venom this time. His strategy to get the creature vulnerable still didn't work.

It was only then that he spotted the Mariner. His eyes widened and his pupils became thin dots through panic. Now there were two that were in danger.

SkekSa continued to watch in horror as the fight carried on. She was frozen in place from shock and fear. She had never seen anything like this, it petrified her.

After noticing SkekSa, the Hunter started to try and scare the Spitter away from the Mariner's direction, yet again he failed. It ran past him and towards her. And of pure instinct of survival, the Mariner held her knife out in front of her. But nothing stopped the Spitter from running into her. She was knocked down, she was the vulnerable one now. One of the Spitter's legs stomped down on her upper left arm, just enough so that the incredibly sharp end left a big and deep gash that bled.

The Mariner let out a yelp as she got hit. The Hunter went after the Spitter, only to lose it. He shouted into the empty space that his target got away in.

"NO, YOU BASTARD!!" He slouched onto the ground with his head in his hands. He felt like the disappointment he made himself look like for losing something that he had been hunting for a while. He had only started to insult himself when he heard his title:

"Hunter." The Mariner said under her breath, she slowly sat up. Pain had hushed her voice, she did not want to sound helpless. She had been sliced, cut, and jabbed before, but never this badly. And SkekMal understood. He walked over to SkekSa who held her wound painfully to stop the stanch coming from it. Her coat was ripped where her wound was, and the frosted dirt and grass below her turned a deep red.

She flinched as the Hunter reached for her arm. She didn't want to seem weak or scared, but her reflexes didn't help with that.

"Are you a coward?" The Hunter asked rhetorically. There was an eerie silence, it was just chaos earlier with running and shouting. But now, it was just calm, almost unnaturally.

"I was only afraid earlier because of that 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. I have never seen a Spitter so giant before. I was bewildered and in negative awe. I tried to protect myself, but look at what that did to me." The Mariner looked down in guilt as she spoke. She gave SkekMal an answer even though he didn't mean to get one. The Hunter reached for her arm again, examining it once he got a hold.

"Here." He let go and held his hand out to SkekSa. She gave him an odd look at him.

"I can help myself with this, I have been hurt before, just not this badly. I think I can handle it." She quickly said, trying to resurrect her esteem.

"But have you been hurt by a wild creature in the forest, with risk of infection? I would handle this much better than you would. You live on the seas, Mariner, you have little experience on the land." The Hunter snapped back at her. SkekSa sighed to herself and took SkekMal's hand. She left dark-colored blood on his hand, for she grabbed it with the same one she held her wound with. Despite being covered in blood more times than he could count, the Hunter looked at his hand with a slight horror.

That was another Skeksis' blood on his hand, a new thing that he hadn't had the chance to get used to. He shook his head to get back to the situation.

He led the Mariner to the nearly frozen lake that was nearby. A thin layer of ice topped the lake, which was quickly destroyed by the Hunter. He stomped on it, cracking and splitting the ice. "Sit down there." He pointed to a spot near the lake that wasn't covered in morning frost. The Mariner sat down. SkekMal's commands were stern and simple so that he did not waste time with unnecessary details, and SkekSa respected that. He kneeled beside her.

"You need to remove your clothing in the area where your wound is at. I cannot treat it if there is something in the way." The Hunter said nonchalantly, providing context as to not weird the Mariner out.

SkekSa felt slightly embarrassed, she hadn't cleaned herself in a while. Even Skeksis cared about hygiene. But with trying to disregard her state, she unclothed the top left of herself, wincing as cloth rubbed against her laceration. She tried to cover any of her bare-self she could to with her free arm to remain decent and appropriate.

SkekMal dipped some cloth that hung off his arm into the lake, getting it soaked.

"Don't move, it will hurt more if you do." He ordered with his voice was calm, almost as if he'd done this procedure before. He put the cloth onto SkekSa's gash, wiping the dripping blood away. The Mariner kept her mouth shut as she bit her tongue. The ice-cold water made her gaping wound sting greatly. The Hunter kept re-dipping and ringing out the cloth, washing out some of the blood it soaked up.

"Do not fret. I have experienced much worse in trine past." He reassured SkekSa. He got his wet cloth and tried to clean the inside of the Mariner's wound.

She winced sharply, squinting her eyes. She couldn't help but vent out the massive stinging an pain she felt. "Aahg-" She exclaimed.

"Give me a warning next time, will you!?" She yelled at SkekMal who didn't budge at the sudden comment. SkekSa's wound grew cold from her slight bareness, which didn't help her wound any more.

This time, it was not the Mariner's day. Her pain was like being stabbed while ice and salt were also being rubbed on a blister. The Hunter went to clean the inside of her wound again.

"I'm going put the cloth in your gash again, Mariner." He said, making sure to warn SkekSa this time as to not get yelled at.

But she blocked him by lifting her hand slightly towards the cloth.

"Is this necessary, Hunter? It probably hurts more that it will help." Her voice was filled with desperation and plead. The Hunter could hear the 'don't make me go through this' in the way she spoke.

"Do you want your arm to rot with infections and leak pus? That will hurt way more than your are hurting now. Gain some courage for once and live through this! At least I am-" SkekMal paused upon realization. "-helping you." He lowered the cloth that was attached to his arm. SkekSa looked up at him, at her wound, then back at the ground.

She put her hand down that was blocking the Hunter slowly with a deep sigh. The Hunter continued to clean the Mariner's wound again. She realized that her outburst was caused by pain, and all she could do right now is soak it in and not get in trouble doing so.

"Before you start asking more stupid questions, I have been hunting that Spitter for a while now. It had been killing prey that I used for food, and it must have picked up the scent of the food I left behind for you." SkekMal finally provided answers to the Mariner's inside questions. But she still had one more she wasn't afraid to ask.

"That food was for me?" She looked up at him.

"Most Skeksis throw me out once I have completed a hunt for them, they use me as a tool for food and killing. But as soon as I had finished helping you, you didn't ask to be left alone, you told me to get 'well-deserved sleep'. The food I left for you was a reward for having common sense, unlike those lazy insignificants." The Hunter chuckled to himself. "They are all idiots who care about luxury more than health." He continued.

"Y'know?"  
"Yeah, I guess so."

SkekMal washed out his cloth and let it go. He reached for his cape that piled on the ground. With a loud rip, he tore off a piece of his cape.

"What are you doing now?" SkekSa asked, looking at the ripped off piece of SkekMal's cape.

"I'm going to wrap this around your arm to stop any future bleeding," He replied, unraveling the cloth and wrapping it around the Mariner's arm. He tied it.

"Now, this is going to hurt for a while." He continued, warning SkekSa. He tightened the knot, pulling the cloth with it. The Mariner winced once more. She disobeyed her orders from before and moved her left hand to meet the Hunter's, squeezing it and squinting her eyes as she could feel her wound throbbing under the tight cloth. The Hunter looked down and quickly snatched his hand back in shock.

"If you need something to clutch onto, grab your coat." He said in a stern and rushed voice.

"Do you have any spare clothes to make yourself decent while you wash the blood off your coat and undershirt?" The Hunter asked, trying to calm down.

"I think I have a spare undershirt." SkekSa responded.

"Good, get something to drink. I will find something to eat. I cannot risk you getting hurt again in the state you are in right now," SkekMal said back, standing up from his kneeling position. "I will be back before sunssest, unless you feel like hunting for yourself and getting injured even more." He said, looking behind him towards the Mariner.

"I'll be fine right here. The last thing I want to do is to be put in danger again, I'm not that foolish." SkekSa replied. The Hunter ran off without a response.

The Mariner washed her coat and undershirt, stitching them back together using her sail repairing techniques. She put them back on over her bandage made from SkekMal's cape, also putting her hat on to complete her known outfit. A new campfire was lit to keep warm from the freezing air around. All the Mariner could do right now was to await the Hunter's arrival and think to herself.


	3. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While SkekMal is away hunting, SkekSa has some time to think to herself, but ends up discovering something in her mind that would haunt her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [WARNING: MINOR BLOOD, I ALSO RECOMMEND LISTENING TO MUSIC WHILE READING THIS CHAPTER, IT HELPS TRUST ME] I felt super relieved after completing this chapter, which trying not to spoil it, takes a big step into the next two chapters.

It had been a few days since the Mariner's injury, and the Hunter was beside her for most of them. He hunted and provided food for her, he also cleaned her wound everyday to make sure it did not get worse. He tended to her. Not that he cared, that was something he fought the small and lingering urge to admit. He just wanted to make sure that one of his own wouldn't die from infection. That was it.

The two knelt down in front of the lake, SkekSa's gash was being taken care of again.

"Do I need to go through this anymore? It's already healing, so what's the point? I can take care of myself just fine." She said as she slid her coat all the way back on.

"Again with questions!? The last thing I want right now is to try and heal two wounds at once. So until yours starts scabbing, you aren't going anywhere. Do you understand me?" The Hunter replied sharply, staying strong to his opinion, no matter how many annoying complaints he received.

"Got it." The Mariner responded with a scoff, sounding annoyed. She didn't mind the company SkekMal brought, she was just aggravated that he thought lowly of her due to what happened.

"I am not the one to blame for this, you are," SkekSa started, "there was nothing a little knife could do, but two much larger ones could. You tried to herd the Spitter away, but you failed. You were the cause, and my inj-" Her rant was cut off by the now-angered Hunter.

"Just like you stood and watched me fight that 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. You did nothing the entire time until it was too late. And you are blaming me!? You could have ran, but what did you do?" He said, almost yelling. SkekSa remained silent.

"But what did you do?" He repeated. It appeared his arguing skills were high, it too also seemed like he wasn't afraid to use them. The question was repeated again, trying to make the Mariner feel worse about her injury.

"I stood there." She finally said under her breath, letting SkekMal win the argument. The Hunter stood up and crossed his primary arms, the ones on his back shuffling in their designated bone holder.

"I am going to hunt for food again, and possibly track down this Spitter without interruption. And when I'm gone Mariner, get your head straight. Don't rebound with idiotic questions, I'd hate to see you like that when I come back," He said, "Farewell." And just like that, just like the hunter he was, he ran off without giving SkekSa the chance to say anything.

The Mariner stood up and walked over to her shelter, ducking down and entering it. She sat down on a small mattress near one thick-clothed wall of her shelter. They hung off of thin yet sturdy wooden poles staked into the ground. Multiple decorative cloths hung on the interior, along with some lights to illuminate the closed-off area. Yet even with SkekSa's shelter being closed-off, it didn't prevent the outside winter cold.

Every night that passed, she covered herself with more blankets to keep her warm, the heavy winter was rolling in quicker than ever. It was also rather obvious that this trine's winter was going to be much stronger than any she had experienced before. But the thing that surprised the Mariner the most about the unexpectedly cold winter was SkekMal.

While SkekSa wrapped into blankets along with her feathers, the Hunter slept in the same spot. He fell asleep with no covers, and at a distance away from the fire where he could barely feel the heat from it. He even managed to keep balance on that same damn branch he slept on. He was hardcore, and everyone that saw him could tell. The Mariner shook her head, she was supposed to get caught up with common sense, not to think about the Hunter.

She thought that it was possible that he could smell her thoughts at this point. She snickered at the thought.

Her feathers were dirtied, some still stained with dried blood. As she had thought to herself before, it had been a while since she's had the chance to clean herself thoroughly, and it was a bit embarrassing. But the opportunity to was not the problem, it was either the lakes nearby were covered with ice or nearly frozen. And she could not bathe in those waters, only hot springs, which she could not search for by herself because of the Hunter's commands and orders.

The Mariner only followed the Emperor's laws, and his laws only. The only thing that kept her from searching was losing SkekMal's company. 'Which is ridiculous, why would I worry about getting rid of his help, I can help myself. I would be perfectly fine if he left.' She confirmed to herself, but a sudden pause overcame her thinking. She stared at the ground of her shelter, her mind became empty for a few seconds until she wondered:

'Right?'

Her brief thought was simple yet somehow strong. It gave her doubt and confused her greatly. Why did she think that? SkekSa felt foolish and insecure for thinking such a thing, and to even be questioning why she thought of it. Now she was thinking that a relaxing bath in a hot spring would be good to help clear her head, but the consequences regarding SkekMal came back.

It seemed like an endless loop of thoughts, scrambling around in the Mariner's head. It overwhelmed her. She grabbed a nearby pillow and held it in her arms, but that just gave her a headache. She shook her head, "Stop!" she yelled at herself, like it was going to do anything. Her thoughts only yelled back. Some going completely off-topic, and others listing insane reasons why she wanted the Hunter to stay. -And that was it.

SkekSa wanted SkekMal to stay. She could barely tell, but never thought much of it. When he left to hunt or get something, she felt lonely and empty, like something was taken away or missing. She had a sigh of relief whenever he came back, but made nothing of it.

Speaking of coming back, the Mariner sat up. She heard a far away conversation. 'That's odd, the Hunter left not long ago, and why would he be talking?' SkekSa stood up and exited her shelter, the cold air rushing onto her. The conversation continued, yet the voices were not scratchy or deep like the Skeksis' voices. Realization hit her, she backed up with her eyes widened.

'Gelfling.'

Suddenly she wished she was a myth among Gelfling, and excuse for harvest or death, much like SkekMal. A poor excuse not to mention. She wished she had the intimidation of the Hunter, the keen thinking of the Chamberlain, or maybe even the craziness of the Heretic just to scare away the nearing intruders. Every Skeksis was unique in a way, but the thing they all mastered in were threats. The Sifa clan was already mad at the Mariner, so why not scare off a few Gelfling?

She walked towards the chatting, walking on sticks and dead leaves to make her presence known before being seen. The talking stopped, as the Gelfling listened to what could possibly be danger.

SkekSa made her way around a tree, stopping in front of two male Spriton Gelfling. It was odd that Gelfling from that clan traveled all the way out near the beaches. One of the Gelfling yelled in shock, yet both of them were absolutely surprised to see a Lord of The Crystal.

"You dare venture over here again, Gelfling, and I will tear you apart limb-to-limb and use your small ribs as coat hangers until you learn your lesson," The Mariner put her claws up to her neck, miming to rip her throat out. "Or maybe I can burn you slowly and painfully on a stick above a campfire. Do I make myself clear?" She bent down and stared directly at one of the Gelfling, showing her small, sharp teeth to it. The two Gelfling remained speechless, running off into the dense forest. SkekSa wasn't worried, Gelfling would never believe the witnesses' story. They thought it was below Skeksis to treat Gelfling poorly.

Her threat was weak and off though. She scoffed as she got hit with a late rush of embarrassment.

The Mariner stood in her place for a while, just in case that the Gelfling came back. She listened. Other from wild creatures squawking and chirping, it was pure silence. No footsteps or talking, it was safe to say that the Gelfling weren't coming back, so she headed back to her shelter. Crisis averted.

\---

Some time had passed. SkekSa sat on a fallen tree nearby her shelter. She stared up at the bright blue sky, gazing at the different shades of blue and getting lost in them. The Mariner tried to fill her mind with real thoughts that would help her, trying to avoid what happened in the morning. She tried to think of ways to be less of a moron without insulting herself. But she just ended up thinking about how poorly she reacted the day of her injury, and how poorly she treated SkekMal when he tried to help her with it.

Her expression changed from neutral to droopy. She grew a light frown, her eyes looking worried.

SkekSa felt guilty for what she had done to herself and making to the Hunter do things for her. She might as well send him away when he came back, to relieve him from helping her. It would be a final gesture that would perhaps raise his respect for her. But she had already tried to send him away before, and she failed. 'How do I know that the situation won't play out like before?' She asked herself.

The Hunter had told the Mariner to think to herself, but all it did was crush her. She couldn't think of a single thing that made her happy at the moment. Her thoughts raced: The Sifa distrusting her, the winter, the Spitter, her wound, her guilt, how she missed the seas, he shelter, the-

Her thoughts stopped. She sat up on the fallen tree, her eyes widened as she breathed in heavily. A deep sigh left her, he posture changed back to relaxed, her eyes closed.

She thought of the Hunter again.

Not of her guilt for how she treated him, or what she was putting him through, how it all started with a simple favor, or how she prevented him from hunting down the Spitter. No, she thought of his manipulation, his insults, his intimidation, his skills, his mysterious ways, his roars, his ability to keep composure, and his deep voice and how it sometimes soothed her when it was calm.

Just a day before, the Hunter was cleaning her wound. He started talking about his most successful hunt and how the victory affected him. He also told her about some of the toughest times he went through, trying to sooth her stress with the pain of the wound. He said that one time, he had to wait in the same spot for a certain target for more that an anum, only leaving for water, he got his food by killing things that ran by. He also told her about a large wound he got from falling from a tree, where a branch slashed his hand open once, so he had to try and stitch it shut. SkekMal trusted SkekSa with these stories, and they calmed her. She would have asked for him to tell more, but she didn't want to keep annoying him with questions.

The Mariner looked up at the sky again.

People, when going through tough times try and find easy ways to make themselves happy:  
Alcohol, oversleeping, overeating, things that make you trip, 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦.  
It seems fine on the outside, but it rots the mind, that's why it's called rebounding.

SkekSa didn't want to rebound, if anything happened, she wanted it to be under her control.

A large Nebrie was dropped beside her loudly. She jumped in her seat, looking behind her to see SkekMal. In one of his hands was a large blade, dripping with blood. The Nebrie beside SkekSa looked like it was stabbed twice, it would have been killed almost instantly. Convenient.

"Unsuccessful with the Spitter?"  
"Yes."

The Hunter sat on the opposite side of the Mariner. He stared at his stained blade, then licked the blood off. The Mariner gave a disgusted look, then gathered herself. She didn't even hear the Hunter coming, much less had a clue. Her arms crossed on her lap as she took in the surprised return. She also felt a slight embarrassment, the Hunter could probably tell what she was thinking. But she got sidetracked in her thoughts and she didn't expect the Hunter's unexpected arrival. It was less of her fault this time.

SkekSa had some more thinking to do.


	4. Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To clean herself and her mind, SkekSa takes a trip to the hot spring with SkekMal by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter, boys. ALSO, I'm getting better at spacing, so this is going to be easier to read than my previous chapters. I'm also sad that next chapter is going to be the last chapter I'm going to write that includes story.  
> 

Flames from the campfire rose high, crackling and sparking. It kept both the Hunter and the Mariner warm from the winter night.

It was the next day, or rather night, and the two Skeksis prepare to eat. The Hunter had hunted down two Fizzgigs for the both of them. They held long, sharpened sticks that pierced a single skinned-Fizzgig, holding the stick so that their food hover over the fire to cook it. The Mariner sat next to the Hunter. Smoke blew into her direction.

"Ahk-" SkekSa exclaimed before coughing and covering her mouth and eyes with her coat. The smoke burned her throat, and non-emotional tears built up in her eyes. "You'll get used to it." SkekMal said, his voice low. The Mariner shook her head and wiped her tears away. She cleared her throat as a familiar thought traced her mind.

"I need to clean myself, Hunter." She said, almost seeming random.

"Elaborate." The Hunter replied.

"I'm a mess and dirtied up. My mind too. I need to wash myself and clear my mind. Tomorrow I can find a hot spring to get clean, and I can not go by myself because of my wound." SkekSa looked at the Hunter as she mentioned her injury.

"Not a problem. It is about time anyways. You smell like rotted salt, and salt doesn't rot." SkekMal chuckled as he pointed to the Mariner with one hand. SkekSa scoffed non-seriously. "I didn't know you bantered!" She bantered herself, sitting up. "Ha, do you hear yourself, Mariner!" The Hunter snapped back playfully. They both were unlike themselves at the moment. Through many tough times, it was nice to have a positive cathartic experience. They both thought of when they could experience another.

The Mariner heard the fire screech as the Fizzgig sizzled. She quickly removed the charred item from the fire, sighing in disappointment. She realized that she had held it too far into the fire, and her playful conversing with the Hunter made time pass by quicker than it seemed. SkekMal looked over to the Mariner.

"Here, have some of mine." He took his food out of the flames and ripped off a piece, taking SkekSa's burnt inedible and tossing it away. He handed the piece of food to the Mariner, who hesitated to take it. She was stunned, the Hunter was DEFINITELY not one to share if his possession was small, he was acting weird. But who was the one to judge, the Mariner had become a bit clingy and awkward ever since her thoughts of him popped up. SkekSa inevitably took her share of food.

She examined her piece. It had been quite the while since she had eaten cooked food, since she could not build fires on her boat. She took a bite, enjoying the warmness of the food. It made her feel cozy inside. She continued to eat until all she held was bone. The Hunter had quickly devoured his portion when SkekSa looked over.

Juices and blood covered his teeth and lower jaw. It was rather obvious that he did not practice table/eating etiquette often. Rather than use a piece of cloth to clean his mouth, he licked his blood-stained maw. He let out a soft, meaningless growl, standing up.

"Get some rest and prepare for tomorrow, I will do the same." SkekMal said as he walked over to the tree he slept on, looking up at it with a sigh. His shoulders drooped along with his posture and his eyes became half-closed. He turned his head slightly to look at the Mariner, "'Night." He said quietly, adding more claw marks to the tree as he climbed it. He rested on the branch he had slept on many nights before, but he didn't fall asleep. The Mariner noticed that the Hunter stared at the campfire, like he was thinking to himself. She wanted to say something, or perhaps ask him if he was alright.

But in the end, she didn't want to bother him.

\---

Morning arrived, and SkekSa had started to gather essentials for cleaning herself, while the Hunter, strangely, gathered nearby frost-covered vines. He slumped piles of them over his shoulders. The Mariner never got the chance to understand SkekMal's unexplained actions, but she thought to herself that, 'maybe he was thinking about doing that last night.' But with thoughts aside, the Mariner had finished collecting her stuff.

"Ready, Hunter?" She called out, with all of her things she needed in her arms.

"I was waiting for you, Mariner." SkekMal replied. He signaled with his free hand, for one was supporting the vines on his shoulders, for SkekSa to follow him. "I can lead you to the hot-spring I usually use, I know the way there. And plus, it's the best one you will find for a while." He said, still trying to signal.

SkekSa walked over, nodding her head to agree.

The two Skeksis exited the trusted site together, travelling further and further away from the beach where Vessa sit. The Hunter didn't track, unlike the last time the both of them searched. He just walked in silence like he memorized every single route to his, odd, destination. He did say that he hadn't been to the area of SkekSa's shelter in trine.

At her angle, SkekSa could just barely see through the eye hole in the Hunter's skull that he wore. His eyes gave the smallest readable expression. Readable, but also confusing. It was full of thinking and wonder, but also bland at the same time. Like his mind was occupied with thoughts but also bored. He was a mystery, and the Mariner wanted to solve him. She was fascinated at him for it.

The cold air around her became warm, and the dirt and grass under her became full of rocks and stones. She could see steam rise from certain cracks in the stone ground. SkekMal stopped in his tracks and pointed to a personal-sized body of water.

"Clean yourself in there, I will be on the look-out for any creatures from afar." He said, looking at the Mariner.

SkekSa walked towards the body of water she was assigned to. When she looked back, the Hunter was walking, again to a nearby tree. It was a far distance away from her, but not too far that she couldn't see him.

The Mariner dropped her few items at the edge of the hot water. She took her boots off and dipped her bare foot in the lightly-steaming water to test it. 'A little too hot, but it'll do the trick.' She thought to herself, taking her foot out of the water. Behind her again, she saw SkekMal tying the vines together that he once carried. He looked busy, so the Mariner didn't worry about him looking over.

She turned her back towards the Hunter's direction, taking off her hat and red coat with ease. Her clothes made a pile next to her items as she pulled off her undershirt and trouser. The only thing left on her body were her nose rings and the piece of SkekMal's cape that acted like a bandage. She undid the tie and dropped it on her pile of clothes. The wound had started to scab. Mild relief.

SkekSa wasn't totally covered in feathers, but where there were feathers, her colors ranged from bright magenta to dark blue. Impressive for being youthful yet aged, for the other Skeksis had completely, or almost completely lost their colored designs and feathers.

She stretched her secondary arms out as they were finally completely free from her clothing. They grabbed the air behind them. The Mariner knelt down, looking at the water, submerging the two-thirds of herself possible into the warm water. It felt luxurious to finally be so warm in the freezing winter. She sat still, staring up at the sky as she enjoyed the heat from the water and thinking to herself. Before cleaning her body, she had to clean her mind.

She started to try and empty her head from all the thoughts that disrupted her day.

Stresses about the winter and the struggle to keep warm left her mind. But the thoughts of SkekMal refused to. The Mariner looked back to see if he was still where he was when she last checked.

He had climbed the tree, laying completely still on an up-high branch. His gaze remained down, like he was waiting for a creature to cross his path so he could kill it. Beside him strangely, was a medium-sized boulder.

The Mariner turned her head back, grabbing a container with one of her back hands. The container was filled with a conditioner-like substance. She had received it from the Sifa, it was used to keep salt water from damaging their hair. She used it every time she bathed, it was no wonder why her feathers stayed intact. When she opened the container, it released a pleasant flower scent.

The conditioner was cold when it touched SkekSa's hand when she poured some into it. She sat up in the water as she scrubbed her feathers with the conditioner, trying to get as much of herself clean as she could. The water was topped with suds, along with her feathers. She cupped her hands and scooped water up with them, rinsing the white suds out once she finished cleaning herself.

She sighed deeply as she prepared to get out, she was going to miss the warmth that the hot-spring provided her, she also barely managed to clear her mind. The Mariner climbed out of the hot water, immediately feeling the coldness of the air, as she got used to the water. It would only get colder once she and the Hunter left the area. She shook her body and tail, trying to shake as much loose water out before she properly dried herself. A towel she had brought with her helped her dry off some more. She slipped into her pants and just about to put her undershirt on until she heard a long crashing sound behind her.

"Profane or not, run to your shelter!!" SkekMal suddenly yelled from where he was at. SkekSa turned around to see him at a large net made from the vines he collected earlier. The Mariner quickly slid on the rest of her clothing, barely having any time to put on her hat. She ran, but not all the way. She peeked behind a large rock to see the commotion.

The Hunter was beside the net, his blades in hand. It could be faintly heard, but he yelled angrily to himself, "Why now out of all times!?" Beside the net was the boulder he had in the tree, and inside the net was a large, midnight black creature.

SkekMal had built a trap for any creature that walked by, and the Spitter that he was hunting, the same one that injured the Mariner, just so happened to run across it. The Hunter would drop the boulder to pull the net, which would wrap the prey up in vines.

The Spitter thrashed and struggled, but couldn't break free. It kept trying for minutes, but couldn't. The Hunter put his blades away, laughing to himself. The laughter continued until he stopped himself to speak. He looked at the Spitter, "Oh~... You worm!" He spoke sharply, before walking away.

'Why is he walking away?' The Mariner thought to herself. She ran back to her shelter before the Hunter could find her behind the rock.

She lunged onto the freezing ground, her feathers damp and cold. Everything happened so quickly to her. One moment she was in hot water, then the other moment she was staring at the frozen lake.

"No-" She said aloud, realizing that she had forgotten her stuff back at the hot-spring. She sighed, shaking her head.

SkekMal appeared as he emerged from a foreign area of trees.

"What happened-" The Mariner paused as The Hunter dropped the things she forgot in front of her. "Oh... That's my bad." She admitted, looking at the Hunter. She then quickly looked away to try and hide a smile that cracked over her face.

"I got it, I trapped that damn Spitter." SkekMal panted from running. "Did you kill it?" SkekSa asked, curious to why he just walked away from it. "No. I cannot knock it down until it is weak. So why not wait for it to tire itself out here?" He answered, smiling to himself.

"Now that I've got that out of the way, let me clean your wound." He said. He broke the ice from the lake with his foot.


	5. Blade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A solution to SkekSa's difficult situation is finally found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [WARNING: MINOR BLOOD!]I made this chapter longer than the rest, that's why it took me a while to make, so sorry! A nice finish to my first ever public fanfiction.

It was an anxious day for SkekSa. SkekMal had found out that her wound was getting better and scabbing the previous day. And as soon as he killed the Spitter, he would be on his way. She was afraid to lose him. He protected her, helped her, kept her company, and made her happy. The Mariner was trying to keep everything professional, yet she fought something deep inside her.

She was a Skeksis, she cursed to herself when she thought of stuff that she shouldn't. Her mind went into the gutter and filled with fog, it was at it's all-time low. But at the same time, she felt like it was at it's best.

The Hunter had poisoned her mind, taken over it. Not that he was in control, but it was filled with thoughts about him. The Mariner never thought about getting super intimate or fond of him. At least, she tried to not think about it. She felt like she had lost her mind. The other Skeksis never respected her the way she felt like she deserved to be, but SkekMal, he understood her. And thus, respected her the way she thought most fit. It weakened her though.

"Say, Mariner," The Hunter turned his head to look at SkekSa, who was sitting behind him, staring at the burnt wood of the dead campfire.

"why won't you go to the castle?" He asked. "The Skeksis would throw a banquette in your honor, you would be under a better rule, and you would have a nice place to sleep." The Hunter made good points, the Mariner was missing out on a lot.

"Not to mention, you would be safe from the Winter." He added. SkekSa chuckled nervously to herself, not moving her gaze from the charred wood.

"They don't... They don't treat me well. I would rather deal with the cold and hunt for myself than deal with a crazy rumor spread about me by the Chamberlain." She said lowly, crossing her arms. She sighed heavily, her warm breath being able to be seen in the cold and crisp air.

SkekMal turned his body around, his head pointing down, but his eyes still looking at SkekSa. His shoulders went back. "Mariner, what are you saying?" He asked, his voice went deep.

SkekSa looked up, eyes widened. It's like the crazy joke she made up in her mind that SkekMal could smell her thoughts were coming true. She blinked twice at him. "I mean what I mean. I say what I say. Not tricks, no hidden meanings." She said sternly, lying.

She stood up, facing the Hunter.

"Don't start assuming things. It makes you look like a fool." Her mood soured. "Go kill that thing you've been chasing, I need to be alone... For good." She said loudly, storming off into her shelter.

SkekMal shook his head and scoffed. But while walking away, he stopped himself. He turned his head to look at the campsite. "You're not okay, Mariner." He murmured, thwacking his tail on the ground to let The Mariner know that he was on his way out.

He grew suspicious, but oddly worried.

SkekSa sat next to the box that she needed help with. The thing that started it all. She hissed at it, turning away from it. She was mad at herself for hinting things she'd at the end, like to keep to herself. The way she responded to SkekMal, pointing to the fact that she liked the way he treated her better than any others, was a stupid move on her terms. It seemed unhealthy, the ways she'd been acting and thinking the past few weeks.

She turned the Hunter away because she was so nervous that, if he stayed, she'd continue her weird comments and behavior. She hated to do it, but it had to be done.

The Mariner wasn't the only one thinking at the moment.

The Hunter hopped trees in the forest, keeping his presence unknown from any potential Gelfling wanderers. He jumped from a thick branch on a tree, getting some good air. The area around him went dark as he stumbled upon a thought.

He only snapped back to reality when it was too late. His claws slammed into a tree trunk, trying to resurrect his failed jump. But his reflexes were to no help. His claws failed to stab the wood deep enough. SkekMal fell to the frosted ground with a loud crash.

He sat up quickly, looking around him. No Gelfling, not even a Fizzgig in sight. The Winter had probably got the best of most creatures, causing them to hibernate.

The Hunter climbed up the tree he failed to land on. He sat on the branch he originally aimed for. The branch sank down lightly due to The Hunter's weight, his bone decorations taking a big part. He gathered himself.

He felt like an idiot. Getting distracted in his own mind, causing him to make a fault that could have led to serious injury: 'Pathetic.'

His thoughts consisted of the one who always thought of him, SkekSa. He had grown suspicious, or weary of The Mariner. By the way she kicked him out, he could tell that she was mad, unwell. She was normal before she tried assuring him about what she said, 'so that might be the thing that she's mad about.' SkekMal thought.

He hissed, shaking his thought out of his head. The Spitter he successfully captured after countless attempts of tracking had been left for almost over a day, SkekMal had to be on his way to it before anyone else found it. The last thing he would want is to arrive where he left it, only to find it gone.

The Hunter continued jumping from tree to tree with a surprising amount of ease. He continued, sometimes hopping onto the ground when there wasn't enough forestry to jump on, until he reached the edge of the forest. The hot-spring where he had led SkekSa to warmed the air around him. He wished to stay longer, to enjoy a break from the freezing cold, but he still had to carry on his way.

SkekMal hopped down from the tree he was perched in, crouching onto the ground. The tip of his beak grazed gently on the ground as he sniffed it for the stinging scent of the Spitter. He crawled on the ground, continuing his scent search.

'Mud. Moss. Grass.-' He scoffed as he picked up an unwelcome smell. "Gelfling." He said aloud in a deep and gravelly voice. 'A scare would do the trick for those irresolute things.' In the back of his throat, The Hunter made a very deep growling sound, almost like he was revving up for something.

And it was exactly that. He stood up, pointing his head up, letting out a loud roar. It was ear-piercingly loud but also low in pitch, which only added to it's effect.

SkekSa, who was gathering firewood, could almost hear the Hunter's roar. Yet, she made nothing of it. It was just a distant cry that meant nil to her.

SkekMal was sure that his roar scared away the possible Gelfling in the area that he smelt. He roared like that once when he was in the Castle of the Crystal because of an argument he had with the Chamberlain. It certainly scared the lies out of him for the rest of the trine.

With a bit of waiting, the Hunter continued his search. He resumed crawling on the ground and sniffing it. The search carried on until he picked up the stinging scent he had been looking for. But when he looked up from the ground, he looked right at the Spitter he had trapped in the net he made.

It lay down, exhausted from writhing and struggling to get out. SkekMal looked at it's pathetic and tired eyes. He put his hands under the Spitter, which barely reacted, turning it upside-down inside the net. His back legs giving him extra force to turn the heavy thing over. Now that it's softer underside was exposed, it would be easier to kill.

The Spitter kicked it's sharp legs into the air slowly as a response to being flipped over. But that wouldn't save it now. The Hunter reached his hands behind his back, grabbing his two large blades from his belt. He took his blades in front of him, smiling.

His sharp-toothed grin let out an ugly cackle of satisfaction. He rose his blades into the air, then swiftly stabbed them into the underside of the Spitter. It let out a screech of pain, it's final breath. The Hunter slid his blades out of the dead insect, which were now covered in it's grayish-red blood.

He refused to lick the toxic blood on his blades, instead he wiped them off on his pant legs. The lifeless body of the Spitter gave great relief to SkekMal. A burden, a difficult task, lifted from his shoulders.

But it also let him down. Because now, he would just be living his regular life he had been living for hundreds of trine. It is fun at points, yes, but it bored him most times.

He had to stop pondering.

He tore open the net holding the Spitter, tossing it away to overt Gelfling suspicion of there actually being a ravenous killer out there. It was time to head back.

The Mariner sat alone at the lit campfire, in the same spot she had always been sitting in. A chilly winter breeze rolled in, colder than the days before. SkekSa scooted up closer to the fire, hoping it would relieve the cold she was experiencing.

Snapping and crunching sounds came from the direction The Hunter left at. SkekSa looked over, gasping as SkekMal emerged from the bushes and trees.

"Your mind is unwell," He started to speak, keeping distance between him and the Mariner. "and I taught myself not to be sympathetic, but I will be damned if I leave a fellow Skeksis alone by themselves when they have something obviously wrong with them." He stood up straight.

Snow started to fall around the area, flakes landing on the Hunter's mask. The Mariner sat up, eyes widened, and mouth open as to say something. But she came out with nothing.

"What is on your mind, SkekSa?" SkekMal asked, giving off the fact that he would do nothing until he got an answer.

SkekSa stood up. The way that The Hunter said her full name seared through her. She grew colder as snow fell on top of her, now that she was a bit further away from the fire.

She did not want to speak truth, she could not even admit the truth to herself. Through quick thinking she hoped to stumble upon an excuse on what to say, or maybe even a distraction. A few quick seconds went by, and she got an idea.

"You have been working non-stop to try and keep me safe ever since my wound, all the while trying to kill something you have been chasing for unum. And you succeeded at both." The Mariner's words made SkekMal feel accomplished. "Enjoy the comfort of my shelter for the night. Not as a thank you, but as appreciation. THEN you can go back to normal life uncomfortably sleeping in trees or whatnot."

The Hunter stepped back in thought. It didn't last long though. "For this once." He quickly agreed. He felt like he needed some appreciation for what he had done. And plus, he wasn't quite ready to get back to normal life. He is only so eager to do so when he is forced to hunt.

"Very well, I will be in there for the moment, the fire is doing me no good right now." SkekSa replied, walking over to her medium-sized shelter, crouching under the entrance to get inside. SkekMal was soon to follow, for he too, was getting pretty cold, even for him.

He knelt down, now inside the Mariner's shelter, taking off his belt which held his blades, and his bones. He wanted relief from those solid things he wore, they looked cool, but hurt like ever. This included his skull mask.

SkekSa looked over as she saw the skull being placed down. She was astonished at what she saw, she had never seen the Hunter without his signature bone mask. But she gazed at his bare details, trying to not be obvious.

SkekMal's face was a grayish-blue. Round concave designs were aligned on his snout, and four long, thin spikes topped each side of his head. With two more placed on each side of his bottom jaw. And his eye color, now more visible, was a dark pine-green that lightened up when it shined. His face seemed more intimidating than his skull now that she saw it.

The Mariner looked away, covering herself in many blankets, saving some for SkekMal. Her gaze turned downwards, landing on the Hunter's blades. She took her arm out from her covers and pulled one of the large blades out of it's holder.

The blade was noticeably stained with blood, but it still shimmered in the light. The ends were a bit dull but still nonetheless very sharp to the touch.

"Planning to kill me now, ey?" SkekMal asked rhetorically as he noticed his blade in SkekSa's hand. He sat criss-crossed, looking at her, who was sitting on her knees which were being cushioned by her small mattress. The Hunter took the leftover blankets and wrapped himself in them.

"Wouldn't think about it," SkekSa replied. "but I take it you hunt a LOT." She added.

"A lot would be a mild statement," SkekMal said, closing his eyes. "What do you hunt?" He asked, opening his eyes back up to look at the Mariner.

"Freedom, perhaps." SkekSa replied, not knowing any other way to. It was ironic the position she found herself in right now. She was the Mariner, and here she was, sitting in a freezing shelter on land, with a wild thought in the back of her mind. "Not to be dragged around." She meant no offence to the Hunter when she said so. Her wound had scabbed and she was now free to do whatever. Only free from him, though. And yet, she had let him stay once he had returned...

"Freedom? You cannot kill freedom, you earn it. To be free and do what you please is only obtainable once you get rid of everything blocking it. Those obstacles are what you should hunt, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 are the things that can be defeated." The Hunter corrected the Mariner, although still understanding what she said.

The Mariner shivered, even in all of her blankets. SkekMal also shook slightly due to the freezing cold. "It will be the cold that will kill you, not me." SkekSa said.

"Take my covers then." The Hunter offered.

The Mariner pushed her head back. She expected the Hunter to say something like, 'Then freeze', or something close to it. "No, you are already cold yourself." She declined his offer.

SkekMal smiled faintly, hiding it well. The Mariner was never needy for extra. She wanted less, not more, an aspect he liked. She showed him respect, too. But now she was confused on what to do next, her current situation wasn't one she knew how to handle well, and he knew that.

The Hunter looked down, thinking to himself. 'Maybe...' he thought. She was onto something the whole time, finding a way to get through this after all. It was him. It was the message she had tried to get around to him. She wanted him to stay. She wanted 𝘩𝘪𝘮.

"Hey, Mariner..." He spoke.

"Yes?" SkekSa responded, thinking that he would give her another offer.

"Come here."

"Uhhm- Okay." She grew confused, now that she was commanded to do something. She scooted in front of SkekMal.

The Hunter reached his arms out, grabbing the Mariner and pulling her to his chest. He kept his arms wrapped around her.

SkekSa felt breathless, 'Is this how I die?' She thought he was going to kill her, but no. He continued to hold her gently. She took in the moment and processed it, wondering if just maybe, the Hunter had understood her and what she wanted, and that he accepted it.

The Mariner could hear the Hunter's heartbeat, it was calm and not rushed. It relaxed her.

"Stay close to me, it'll keep us warm." SkekMal said, finally. He leaned back on a couple of pillows, with SkekSa still in his arms. A smile grew on the two's faces, satisfied that this is the outcome they had received for their situation. A link between the two had connected as they remained in their embrace, a link they could feel in their hearts. They stay laying down, not to move until the morning arrived the next day.

It seemed like for the rest of the Winter, the Hunter's days wouldn't be as normal as he thought they would be.


End file.
